Green Travel Resource Center

Green travel has become quite the buzz phrase lately. Unfortunately, it's also a bit of an oxymoron. Aviation is one of the swiftest growing and most intractable sources of the carbon dioxide emissions that are the primary cause of global warming.

Mile for mile, flying isn't so bad. On a per passenger basis, a plane actually gets slightly better mileage than a hybrid automobile. So what's the problem? Well, the sheer number of miles adds up quickly. A large jet burns about a gallon of fuel per second. On a round-trip cross-country flight, that equates to hundreds of tons of emissions.

There are things you can do to lighten the impact. Check out our green travel tips for ways to lighten your impact.

And there's one other thing you can do: balance out the emissions you can't eliminate by purchasing carbon offsets.

Park Ride Fly has partnered with TerraPass, a leading carbon offset retailer, to make it easy to balance your emissions from travel. Read on for green travel trips.

Green travel tips

There are a variety of ways to reduce the impact of your travel. Here are some ideas:

1. Schedule a web conference instead. There are many cheap and even free tools available these days that allow you meet online. A single saved plane ticket can cover the cost of several nice web cameras. It may take some experimentation to find a system that works for you, but the time, cost, and fuel savings are considerable.
2. Combine trips. Cut down on flights by planning ahead so that trips can be consolidated.
3. Fly direct. Multi-leg trips and stopovers use up fuel. As a side benefit, you'll cut down on the chance of missed connections or lost luggage.
4. Use a shuttle, bus, or train to get from your destination airport. If you have to rent a car, you can often save a lot of money by renting close to your hotel rather than at the airport.
5. Rent a small or, better yet, a hybrid car at your destination. Don't fall for the up-sell to a "roomier" vehicle. What are you going to do with that extra space?
6. Reduce your baggage. Every pound counts.
7. Get a hotel near the airport, if it helps you cut down on driving miles.
8. Fly coach. You'll save money and reduce emissions.

Balance your emissions with TerraPass

Most of us are traveling more than ever, for work and for pleasure. Although conservation is a great way to lighten our environmental impact, most of us can't eliminate travel altogether.

For the trips you have to take, balance your emissions with TerraPass. TerraPass is a leading retailer of carbon offsets, which are a way of funding reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that balance out your own contribution to global warming.

How does TerraPass work?
Say you have to take a business trip from New York to San Francisco. From that single trip, you'll be responsible for about 2,000 lbs of carbon dioxide -- more than most people emit in two months of driving.

So you buy a TerraPass to balance out your impact. Your TerraPass purchase funds clean energy and efficiency projects such as wind farms that result in a verified, measurable reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

Jets burn a lot of fuel – about 100 gallons per passenger on a cross-country flight.	You buy a Flight TerraPass.	TerraPass funds clean energy projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.	Your TerraPass is verified to reduce the equivalent of your air travel’s carbon dioxide pollution.

How much does TerraPass cost?
Balancing your emissions is affordable. For as little as $9.95, you can balance a round-trip cross-country flight. Plus, every TerraPass comes with a free gift, such as a decal or luggage tag, that helps you spread the word about global warming.

How do you know your TerraPass has an impact?
Your TerraPass purchase if verified by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions, creator of the Green-e renewable energy certification program. TerraPass voluntarily submits to a third-party audit and publishes an annual verification report so that you can be confident your money is being put to good use.